Lithuania proposes mandatory player cards from 2029
Table of contents
- Lithuania’s Ministry of Finance has proposed mandatory player cards for all gamblers from 1 January 2029, covering both online and land based venues.
- The initiative includes a full shift to cashless payments at gambling venues, with operators given a three year transition period to upgrade equipment.
- The reform builds on a series of recent measures including a minimum gambling age of 21 and tightening advertising restrictions ahead of a full ban in 2028.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Finance has proposed making player cards mandatory for all gamblers from 1 January 2029, in a move that would give authorities the ability to track deposits and winnings across every licensed operator in the country.
A draft amendment to the country’s gambling law sets out the proposal alongside a broader package of regulatory changes. Under the plan, each player would need to obtain a personal card before participating in any gambling activity, covering both online platforms and physical venues.
The cards would centralise data on deposits, winnings, and losses across all operators, giving the Gaming Control Authority enhanced monitoring capabilities.
Player card system
The legislation calls for a full transition away from cash payments at gambling venues. From 2029, all gambling payments, including payouts, must be processed using cashless methods linked to the player card.
Operators will be required to integrate identity verification, transaction monitoring, and exclusion list checks with the player card system. They must also deploy systems capable of detecting risky play patterns and intervening when problem gambling behaviour is identified.
Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas said:
“The player card is a core tool for implementing responsible gambling policy. It strengthens the prevention of problem gambling and ensures that the main objective, reducing access to gambling and its potential harm to health, is actually achieved.”
Phased transition
Operators will have a three year window to upgrade or replace existing equipment to meet the cashless payment requirements.
On the transition timeline, Vaitiekūnas said the ministry had built in a specific window to allow venues to update their retail hardware, with systems required to comply with cashless payment requirements by 2029.
Prime Minister Inga Rugieniė has expressed support for the initiative, according to reports, citing its aim to strengthen oversight and minimise gambling related harm.
Part of broader reform
The player card proposal is the latest in a series of measures Lithuania has introduced to tighten its gambling framework. Tighter restrictions on gambling advertising came into force from 1 July 2025.
The minimum legal gambling age was also raised from 18 to 21, effective from 1 November 2025, a change covered in detail following its implementation last year.
Most outdoor gambling ads were banned from 1 July 2025, with a complete advertising ban set to follow on 1 January 2028. The Gaming Control Authority has already moved to enforce the new rules, with Olybet under investigation for alleged breaches last year.
The reforms also build on a June 2024 decision by Lithuania’s Seimas Budget and Finance Committee to endorse measures for a centralised player database and the introduction of monthly or annual loss limits.
Similar frameworks are in place or under development in Sweden and the United Kingdom, where player account requirements have become central to responsible gambling policy.
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